Mobius: Twenty Years Later (My Style)
by NebulaBelt
Summary: As the title suggests, this is a look at planet Mobius in the year 3255. Be forewarned, this is NOT what you expect it to be. Trust me. Please read and respond, no flames please. Polite criticism yes, flames no. FINISHED!!!
1. Disclaimers and Notes

******  
  
Hello again. Here's the next idea that sprang from my oh so demented mind. It's a look at Mobius twenty years in the future. Sound familiar? If it does, then leave your expectations behind because this is something I just cooked up. It doesn't resemble the future describes in Sonic In Your Face and is a future I made up based on my own fics (That I have incidentally, not finished yet. I'm starting at the end and working towards the beginning. Kind of like working through a maze). Keep reading because this is going to get weirder in future chapters. Enjoy! If you happen to be of a Conservative or right-wing frame of mind, you may very well want to turn around. Right about.....Now. Too late, because here we go!  
  
  
All Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna characters are copyrighted to Archie Comics, Sega, DiC, and whoever else that isn't me. Any original characters or plots belong to me.  
  
****** 


	2. Introductions

******  
  
-THE UNITED RESTORED KINGDOM OF ACORN, MOBIUS, 3255  
  
"Hurry up, Naomi! They're here!" A male voice called.  
  
"I'm coming, I'm coming. Keep your shirt on, Nicholas!" A female one answered. Princess Naomi Elizabeth Acorn hurried down the palace steps, smoothing her skirt as she did so. Her brother, Prince Nicholas "Nick" Acorn, stood at the bottom impatiently waiting for his sister.  
  
"About time!" Nicholas snorted while absently brushing his auburn hair out of his face. He was a ground squirrel, as was his mother, Queen Sally Acorn I. Naomi on the other hand, was a hedgehog like her father, King Sonic I.   
  
"Cool it Nick. It's not like they would've gone on home if I was two seconds late."  
  
"Yeah, whatever." He grumbled. Naomi was about to answer back when she remembered their guests should be there any minute. Deciding to put squabbling with her brother on the back burner, she turned toward the Palace Gates just in time to see them admit a white ambassadorial hover car. It came to a stop right in front of the Palace, levitating a few inches off the ground. A door opened and out leapt their friend, Teilani; Princess of Mercia, daughter of Rob O' the Hedge and Mari-An Echidna.  
  
"Hi guys!" She laughed as she threw her arms around Naomi and then Nick. "It's been a while!"  
  
"Yeah, a whole six weeks." Naomi dryly noted. "Still, it's great to see you Teilani."  
  
"Same here." Nick agreed.  
  
"I see you're vocabulary hasn't developed any since last we spoke." Teilani joked.  
  
"Oh yeah? Well I-" Whatever Nick had to say was drowned out by a loud "YEEE-HAW!" that caught everyone's attention.  
  
"I only know one person who can shout a Rebel Yell like that." Naomi said. "Come on out Derek."  
  
"If you want." Derek D'Coolette walked out of the bushes where had been hiding and approached the group. He was a male coyote whose ears were just a bit longer than normal; which wasn't surprising, considering that Derek was the son of Antoine D'Coolette and Bunnie Rabbot.  
  
"About time you showed up." Naomi said. "Where's Will?"  
  
"Right behind you." Naomi spun around in surprise.  
  
"Don't you do ever do that again William St. John!" She demanded of a black and white feline who stood behind her.  
  
"My apologies." He said with a smirk. "Won't happen again luv."  
  
"See that it doesn't." She responded coolly. "And don't call me 'luv,' understood?"  
  
"Understood, luv." She groaned.  
  
"Don't worry about Will, Naomi. I'm sure Thomas and I can keep him in check." A female voice called from above. "Don't you think so, Thomas?"  
  
"Right, Lara." Out of the shadows stepped Thomas Acorn, the son of Elias Acorn and Mina Mongoose, and cousin to Naomi and Nick. At the same time Lara-Su, Guardian of the Floating Island and daughter of Knuckles and Julie-Su, dropped out of the sky.  
  
"Glad you two could make it, Lara." Naomi said. Lara smiled.  
  
"I'm just happy to be here. So is Thomas. Isn't that right?" She frowned. "Where did he go?"  
  
"I'm right here." Lara jumped back with a start as Thomas suddenly re-appeared next to her.  
  
"How do you do that?" She demanded.  
  
"Ranger training." Thomas said simply. "I picked that up from my father."  
  
"I'll just bet. Is everyone here?" She asked.  
  
"Not quite," said Nick. "We're still waiting for--ah here they come now." The assembled group turned to look as two more Mobians approached them. Unlike the others, they made no grand entrances, nor did they keep themselves hidden. They simply walked up to the Palace steps as if they were simply strolling down a street. The figure on the left was a male kangaroo wearing a blue shirt, who bounded down the pathway to the Palace in typical kangaroo strides. On the right was another female echidna, like Teilani and Lara-Su.  
  
However, unlike Teilani, Lara-Su, or any of the others, these two were from a Republic on the other side of the planet. They had only met Naomi, Nick, and the others once or twice before. She had red fur and tied her quills back in a ponytail. She wore nondescript black trousers, white shirt with a red vest, as well as a traditional Russian babushka on her head  
  
"Zdrast'ye, tovarischi." The female echidna said. The kangaroo echoed her welcome, though his accent was clearly not Russian. Naomi rolled her eyes.  
  
"Come on Aeryn, you know we don't speak Russian."  
  
"I know." Aeryn said, smiling as she switched to Russian-accented English. "Of course, it couldn't hurt you to learn." She turned to the kangaroo. "Don't you think so Christopher?" He smiled and nodded.  
  
"Way I see it, the more languages you know, the better. Of course their are some things that transcend words and languages. Lunch, for example. Speaking of which, when do we eat?" He laughed.  
  
Naomi did too. She only wished she had paid more attention during her history lessons, then she would know more about their country. But from what she remembered, after Ivo Robotnik was defeated in 3240, a dozen or so nations in Mobius' Eastern Hemisphere declared their independence from the Kingdom of Acorn and formed their own united Republic, kicking out the old monarchies in the East. There were threats of war, coups, counter-revolution, and wide scale destruction before her mother, then Princess Sally, brokered a peace treaty acknowledging the sovereignty and independence of the breakaway nations.  
  
Despite the treaty, there was little contact between the United Restored Kingdom of Acorn and the seceded nations--who then organized themselves into something called the Soyuz Sovietskikh Sotzialesticheskikh Respublik--until King Acorn yielded the throne to Princess Sally, who then became Queen Sally Alicia I and made Sonic king.  
  
Naomi and Nick had met Aeryn and Christopher on a diplomatic trip to Mercia a year or two ago. It was an...interesting enough start, but they did grow to like each other. It took a lot of diplomatic pull to arrange this sleep over, but it would be well worth it. Or so she hoped.  
  
Naomi's musings were cut off by her brother. "If you're hungry, I'm sure the cook can whip up something. Chili dogs perhaps?" Aeryn looked fairly disgusted and Christopher didn't look any more interested than her. Naomi thought it was that they simply didn't like chili dogs. Then she remembered that they didn't have servants or attendants in their country. The concept of having someone else do you're own work for you was frowned upon in their country.  
  
"Or you could make whatever kind of food you want. If you don't like chili dogs I'm sure we have something-" Aeryn shook her head.  
  
"That's quite all right. I admit I am a bit curious about the food that King Sonic finds so delicious."  
  
"You've come to the right place then." Derek said. As they headed inside the Royal Palace, Naomi glanced at the two latest arrivals. She knew less about them than she did the rest of her friends, which wasn't surprising since her other friends were the children of Freedom Fighters like her mother. Christopher and Aeryn were a bit more of a mystery...  
  
She knew that both of them were the children of the SSSR's leadership. Christopher's mother was the Defense Minister for the SSSR (Though for some odd reason, ministers were referred to as 'Commissars'). His mother also happened to be the niece of a famous former Freedom Fighter, Walt Wallaby of Downunda. Aeryn's father on the other hand, was the unquestionable leader of the SSSR. He was it's President, Premier, and General-Secretary for its most powerful political party. However, that was not quite as unusual as the fact that neither of her parents were echidnas. Her mother, Mira, was a wolf, sister of another famous Freedom Fighter--Lupe--and her father, Nikolai Odezvan, wasn't even a Mobian. He was an Overlander and an odd one at that, if you believe the rumors, that is. Some rumors claimed he was an alien. Others say he is a robot. Still others insist her is a blood relative of Doctor Robotnik. Some think he is an outright clone, though they look nothing alike.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted my Teilani, calling her name."I'm sorry Teilani, what did you say?"  
  
"I said 'how many chili dogs do you want?' "  
  
"Oh. I'll just help myself, thanks Teilani."  
  
"No problem. What are you thinking about?"  
  
"Nothing much."  
  
"Ah, you're thinking about Aeryn and Christopher, right?"  
  
"How'd you know?"  
  
"I think everyone here is thinking about them. Few people have as 'interesting' a background as those two." Teilani observed.  
  
"I'll say. Well come on, I'm hungry for some chili dogs."  
  
*** 


	3. Lunch and a Warning

***  
  
As they all sat down to lunch, Aeryn and Christopher looked warily at the chili dogs on their plates.  
  
"This is FOOD?" Christopher asked in disbelief. Aeryn shook her head.  
  
"Nyet. This must be some kind of failed biological experiment." Nick decided to take offense.  
  
"Hey, this is the signature food of the Royal Family! It wouldn't kill you to try it."  
  
"I doubt that. But, as my father says 'Carpe Diem.' " Aeryn bit into her chili dog at about the same time Christopher did. Christopher swallowed and turned a pale shade of green. Aeryn didn't look any better.  
  
"On the other hand, my father has another expression for this kind of situation." Aeryn said.  
  
"Oh? What's that?" Naomi inquired.  
  
"Gevalt!" Aeryn exclaimed as she reached for a glass of water. "No offense, but this is simply vile!"  
  
"Cheers." Christopher dryly agreed as he reached for his own glass.   
  
"Sorry." Naomi said. "I'm sure we can find something else-" Christopher frantically shook his head.  
  
"No!" Christopher said frantically. "No need. We'll just grab a bite later. I don't think I can look at food right now."  
  
"Da." Aeryn agreed. "I think I'll just go for a walk in your gardens, if you don't mind Princess Naomi." She added. Naomi shook her head.  
  
"Feel free to walk wherever you want. On the singular condition that you don't call me 'princess,' Naomi will be fine."  
  
"Very well then. Thank you, Naomi." Aeryn excused herself and walked away from the table. Christopher joined her a second later. After they left, Thomas got up.  
  
"If you'll excuse me, I'll be going as well."  
  
"Where are you going?" Will asked.  
  
"Someone's got to prepare them for whatever you people throw at them next. Besides, I think I'll just order them a pizza while I'm at it." After he left, Thomas strode down the halls of the palace. He found Aeryn and Christopher sitting on a bench in the middle of the Palace Garden.  
  
"Hey guys." Thomas said.  
  
"Thomas." Aeryn said by way of greeting. "What is it?"  
  
"I just wanted to apologize to you two. I should've remembered that you two aren't the same kind of chili dog fanatics the rest of us are."  
  
"It is we who should apologize, Thomas." Aeryn countered. "We should not have been as judgmental as we were-" Thomas shook his head.  
  
"You have nothing to apologize for. Besides that's not the only reason why I came looking for you."  
  
"Why then?" Aeryn asked.  
  
"I had to warn you about something." He answered.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"You see, every time our little group gets together like this, the others have a prank-a-thon-"  
  
"A what?"  
  
"It's a series of pranks and practical jokes the guys and girls play on each other. Naomi, Teilani, and Lara-Su against Nick, Derek, and William. I'd advise you just stay out of there way, it can get pretty intense and I don't want them to cause an international incident."  
  
"What could they do that is so intense?" Christopher asked.  
  
"Let's see," Thomas said as he began to tick points off on his fingers. "Whoopee-cushions on the girls' chairs, hot sauce in the boys' drinks, loosening the hems of the girls' clothes, boys' shampoo replaced with vinegar, itching powder in the girls' undergarments, painting "Girl's Rule!" on Derek's wall, bleaching the girls' hair, gluing the guys' belongings on the wall, putting the girls' hands in warm water, panty raids, surprise tickle attacks...you get the idea."  
  
"So I just wanted to warn you two," Thomas continued. "That both sides are kind of crazy, and you should just stay out of their way. They wont bother non-combatants like me, and I don't think they want to risk an international incident, but I just wanted to give you a fair warning." His message delivered, Thomas left Christopher and Aeryn alone.  
  
After a minute, Christopher decided to voice what they both had been thinking. "What kind of meshuggeh country is this?" He said, borrowing one of words he heard Aeryn's father use so often.  
  
"Indeed." Aeryn agreed. "Remind me to strangle the genius who had the bright idea to sleep over here." Aeryn turned around and left the garden, leaving Christopher alone.  
  
"I guess I shouldn't tell her it was her idea, then." He said before following Aeryn out of the garden.  
  
*** 


	4. Meeting with a Queen

***  
  
Some hours later, Queen Sally descended the Palace staircase to find Aeryn staring long and hard at the large map of Mobius that hung on the wall. Sally shook her head at Aeryn's single-minded focus. Her father was the same way. "Sometimes," Sally mused "I forget that Aeryn is adopted. She acts so much like him that she may as well be Nikolai's own flesh and blood. If they weren't two different species, that is."  
  
Sally decided she might as well introduce herself to her old friend's daughter.  
  
"Aeryn?" Sally asked kindly. Aeryn was so intent on the map that she failed to notice Sally's arrival.  
  
"Queen Sally." Aeryn said formally. Sally smiled and shook her head.  
  
"You are my children's friend. And the daughter of an old compatriot; there's no need for titles. Just call me Sally." Aeryn nodded.  
  
"Very well then, Sally." She said hesitantly, not being used to address a world leader in such an informal manner. Sally smiled and attempted to ease her discomfort.  
  
"Homesick?" Aeryn shook her head.  
  
"No. I was just...looking."  
  
"I can see that." Sally responded as they both turned to the map. "You know, when I was still at Knothole, fighting Robotnik, I never imagined for a minute that Mobius would look the way it does now."  
  
"No, I suppose not." Aeryn agreed. She turned her eyes to the western portion of the map, which depicted the United Restored Kingdom of Acorn. It was colored a light blue and covered most of the Western land mass. As she turned her eyes eastward, she saw her home republic, which was one of over a dozen republics in the SSSR; Which was colored a bright red. Besides the red SSSR and the blue Acorn Kingdom, there were several nations colored in green, these signified the League of Non-Aligned Nations; a loose alliance of nations like Mercia, Downunda, Albion, the Floating Island, the Mysterious Cat Country, Tundra Island, the Trusteeship of the Flicky Islands, and almost in the direct middle of the map was the island of Avalon.  
  
"The world was a very different place when my father was King." Sally continued. "You wouldn't see all these nations occupying a map. All of Mobius was essential one kingdom, and the Kingdom of Acorn was the seat of the King of Mobius."  
  
"For me, the world always looked this way."  
  
"For some, like many of my Ministers, they cannot accept the way this map looks. They would have me try to push the clock back to when Mobius was one kingdom again." Sally said in annoyance.  
  
"With all due respect to your Ministers, they are fools." Sally chuckled. Such blunt honesty was in short supply in the Royal Court, and thus was always appreciated when it presented itself.  
  
"I once knew a young man from my days in Knothole; he would have said the same as you, only less tactfully. He was convinced that he had all the answers..."  
  
"If you are thinking of the young man I think you are, then I would say that he was probably right." She smiled. "Of course I am his daughter, so how could I say anything different?"  
  
Sally laughed as she wistfully thought of days long by. "Aeryn, I'm afraid I have to go now. I have an appointment with the Prime Minister about Parliament's plans to increase trade with the League of Non-Aligned Nations. But it has been a real pleasure talking to you."  
  
"The pleasure is all mine, Sally." Aeryn responded. "My father has always spoken well of you. He still has a picture of you from his Knothole days. He keeps it on his desk, right next to his pictures of his other friends." Sally smiled.  
  
"I hope I manage to talk to you again before you have to leave, Aeryn. I don't often find such insightful comments around here. Perhaps you'd like to consider becoming a member of Parliament?" Sally suggested. Aeryn just snorted at the suggestion.  
  
"No offense your majesty, but I'd rather look for an honest job." Sally laughed.  
  
"You know your father made the very same joke once, all those years ago. You are indeed your father's daughter."  
  
"Thank you." Aeryn answered.  
  
"Well, good-bye Aeryn. Have fun."  
  
"Thank you Sally. I'll try."  
  
*** 


	5. Crushes, Confessions, and Conspiracies

***  
  
After her chat with the Queen, Aeryn went outside to bask in the warm weather. It was rarely this warm back home. She loved her home, but it was nice to see warm gardens as opposed to snow-covered streets every once in a while. She wasn't the only one enjoying the weather. Derek and Will were tossing a Frisbee to each other while Lara-Su was showing Thomas some of the finer points in flying. Lara was flying a good five meters over the ground while Thomas watched her from below. Teilani reclined in a garden chair while Naomi and Nick raced around the Palace with the unnatural speed inherited from their father.  
  
From where she was standing, Aeryn thought Naomi seemed to be slightly faster than her brother. She frowned as she looked for Christopher who didn't seem to be taking place in any of the festivities. She finally spied him standing alone, as usual; simply watching everyone else have a good time, a looking of longing on his face. He never even noticed Aeryn's approach until she tapped his shoulder.  
  
"Aeryn! You startled me."  
  
"Gomen nasai. Christopher, what's wrong?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I've known you since I was two. I know when something is wrong, and there is something wrong. Now are you going to tell me? Or am I going to have to play Twenty Questions?"  
  
"You've caught me dead in my rights." He sighed. "I don't know. I just don't feel that comfortable here."  
  
"Then why did you come here? I know it was my idea, but you could have just stayed home."  
  
"I guess it just seemed like a fun thing to do, at the time." He answered. Aeryn didn't believe that for a second, but decided that if he didn't want to tell her yet, she wouldn't pry.  
  
"I see. Well, if you think you need to talk again, I'll be over at the flower beds."  
  
"Thanks Aeryn."  
  
"Nye za chto." She answered. Lara-Su watched the exchange and decided to talk to the downtrodden kangaroo after Aeryn left. As soon as Aeryn had gone, Lara-Su dropped in on Christopher. Literally.  
  
"Ooops! Sorry about that Chris. I guess my landings need some improvement." Lara said as she helped Christopher back to his feet.  
  
"No problem." He looked a bit dazed and his Downunda accent seemed a bit thicker than before. A shake of the head later, he was back to normal. "Something you wanted to talk about?" He asked.  
  
"Well I kind of overheard your talk with Aeryn--It wasn't intentionally! I mean, we guardians just have enhanced senses, you know?--Anyway, I thought maybe we should talk. You know, get to know each other."  
  
"I see. Tell me, just what is it you really wanted to ask me?"  
  
"Well, I pretty much wanted to know why you came. I mean, no offense, but you've looked pretty miserable the whole time. I wanted to know if I or any of the others had done something-" He shook his head.  
  
"No, nothing like that! I...well I-" He paused. "Promise you'll keep this to yourself?" She nodded.  
  
"Guardian's word of honor. Now what is it?"  
  
"Promise you won't laugh? I kind of just wanted to spend time with Aeryn, you know, just....away from home."  
  
"Ah, I see." Lara said, her eyes twinkling. Christopher flushed.  
  
"Nothing like that! I just wanted to...well, where to start? Ever since I've known Aeryn, I've always just wanted to, you know, be there for her. Protect her, help her, what have you. But ever since we were little, it's always ended up being HER who has to bail ME out."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I met first her when I was only four. She was only two at the time, but even then she always managed to pull my fat from the fire. As we were growing older, I found that I wanted to be around her more and more, but I kept making a bigger fool of myself every time I was around her. She doesn't knows I'm alive, aside from when she's saving my tail." He stopped to take a breath before continuing. "I thought that maybe, on this trip, I might be able to change that. But so far...." He trailed off and looked down.  
  
"That's rough, Chris. Maybe you're just trying to hard."  
  
"I just want her to like me. I mean LIKE me. You know?"  
  
"I think I know what you mean." Lara answered. "All I can tell you is don't try to do anything flashy or stupid to impress her. I mean, my father told be about Derek's father, Antoine-"  
  
"Yeah, I know." Christopher rolled his eyes. "The last thing I want is to turn into the same kind of pathetic lovesick pup who doesn't know when to stop chasing after a prize he can't get. But, I really don't know what to do."  
  
"Give her a chance! I'm sure you're the only guy she has eyes for."  
  
"If guys were my only competition, I wouldn't be as worried as I am."  
  
"You mean she's-"  
  
"Bisexual? Yeah." He shrugged. "She isn't interested in anyone right now, if that's what you're wondering. But that means that just about ANYBODY stands a better chance of having Aeryn fall in love with him OR her, than me."  
  
"I--didn't know." Lara said, more than a bit subdued. "Should you be telling me this? I mean, won't she be angry?"  
  
"Nah. She's pretty open about it. I mean, she doesn't flaunt the fact, but she doesn't hide it either. She would've told you all soon enough anyway. She doesn't care what other people think."  
  
"I noticed." She paused. "I'm probably sticking my nose where it doesn't belong, but does the fact that she's bisexual cause her father any problems?" Christopher shook his head.  
  
"Her father made it illegal to discriminate based upon sexual preferences and legalized same-sex marriages. He knows, and he doesn't mind that Aeryn's bisexual."  
  
"Oh. This is more than I intended to find out when I came to talk with you." Chris shrugged.  
  
"It happens. I mean, it's not like Aeryn is planning on hitting on any of you."  
  
"Good. Thomas, hates it when other people try to hit on me."  
  
"Oh, so you and Thomas are 'together,' then?"  
  
"You could say that." Lara smiled. "We've been dating for eight months now."  
  
"Congrats."  
  
"Thanks. Don't worry about Aeryn. I'm sure there is no guy, OR girl, she'd take over you."  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
"I know so! You must not have noticed the way she was looking at you during lunch."  
  
"I think it was the chili dogs."  
  
"Not that look! She was looking at you out of the corner of her eye the whole time. Except when she was about to be sick anyway. I guess you two just aren't chili dog fans."  
  
"Not really, no."  
  
"Don't worry. We'll have pizza for dinner. Now in the mean time," she said as she put her arm around his shoulder. "You can tell me all about life in the SSSR. I've always wanted to know if some of the rumors I've heard were true...." As they walked off to rejoin their friends, they failed to notice the hidden form that was concealed in the bushes.  
  
"This is Agent 27 to Reunion HQ. Do you read?"  
  
"Affirmative, 27. What's your report?"  
  
"Have spotted all three targets. Operation Restoration can proceed as the others are in place tonight."  
  
"Excellent, 27. Tonight we begin the unification of our people and eliminate these decadent foreign influences."  
  
"Acknowledged, HQ. Tonight then...."  
  
*** 


	6. Dinner and an Abduction

***  
  
As the sun began to set, the group went inside for dinner. Seated at the table was none other than the King and Queen of the Acorn Kingdom, Sonic and Sally themselves. Lara-Su maneuvered Christopher to sit right next to Aeryn, while Lara and Thomas sat opposite them.  
  
As promised, dinner consisted of pizza, not chili dogs. Sonic was a bit disappointed, though he didn't say anything for fear of alienating his children's' friends. Dinner was a fun time for everyone as they ate and talked, though most of them had enough sense not to try both at the same time.  
  
It wasn't long until the conversation again drifted towards Aeryn and Christopher. Sally, ever the diplomat, asked very politely how they liked the Kingdom of Acorn thus far. Aeryn thought for a moment before answering.  
  
"I rather like how beautiful the city is. Especially with all the plants and flowers. It gives it a more natural appeal."  
  
"Many visitors feel the same way. Perhaps you'd like to spend the summer here." Aeryn shook her head.  
  
"Nyet. Spaesbo, aber nyet."  
  
"Say what?" Sonic asked.  
  
"No. Thanks, but no." Aeryn translated. "Don't get me wrong, it's a very nice city and it would be nice to spend time here."  
  
"But..." Sonic prodded.  
  
"It's simply too warm here. Summer would be even worse." Sonic looked confused.  
  
"Warm? You call this warm?" Aeryn shrugged.  
  
"I live in Moscow. Compared to that, most areas seem warm by comparison.  
  
"So what kind of stuff do you do in Moscow?" Nick inquired.  
  
"When I'm not in school I like to go to Gorky Park. It's especially beautiful just after it's snowed. Some days I just sit there for hours, reading or simply strolling about."  
  
"That would explain why you think Mobotropolis is so warm." Naomi observed.  
  
"I suppose so. Muscovite weather just feels natural for me."  
  
"Natural for a glacier maybe," Sonic noted. "I nearly froze my quills off last time I was there."  
  
"Come to mention it, father did mention something like that. I think that's the reason he wanted the next conference to be held in Barcelona." She shrugged. "Or he could just want a vacation, I'm not really sure which."  
  
The rest of the dinner conversation was light and cheerful. After the table had been cleared, Sonic and Sally left to let their children and their friends continue to socialize. Before they knew it, it was so late that everyone decided to turn in for the night. They walked up the stairs, to the rooms of Nick and Naomi. The girls went left, the boys went right.  
  
Naomi's room was big enough that she, Aeryn, Teilani, and Lara-Su had more than enough room to spare. "Well ladies," Naomi said. "Here we are!" It was a large, well furbished room that was fit for a king. Or a Crown Princess, as the case may be. Besides Naomi's bed, there were three cots that were wheeled in before they arrived. After they changed into their sleep wear, they crawled into their beds and began conversing among themselves. Most of the conversation danced around their homelands.  
  
"You should see Deerwood Forest during spring, the entire forest comes alive!" Teilani said at one point.  
  
"Sounds like Rainbow Valley back home, minus the isolationist chameleons." Lara observed.  
  
"In a way, I kind of envy you and feel bad for you at the same time." Naomi said.  
  
"What makes you say that?"  
  
"Mercia and the Floating Island aren't that big; no offense. I've traveled up and down the Acorn Kingdom and even I haven't seen everything. I think it's kind of cool to know that there are still mysteries and wonders to be found in my own country. On the other hand, it's kind of annoying that I have to look at a map to find out where some of the officials that drop in from other provinces come from."  
  
Aeryn nodded sympathetically. "I know that only too well."  
  
"Yeah, and the SSSR is even larger than the Acorn Kingdom." Naomi noted.  
  
"And so many more cultures too. When I travel to Arabia, for instance, I have to remember that I eat only using my right hand. If I am speaking to a Turk, I have to remember to keep my feet flat on the ground. Showing the bottom of your foot is considered a gross insult. In China, you can't leave your chopsticks in your rice. Apparently it acts as challenge to a duel to the death with whomever your sitting with. Dueling is banned, but still. Little things you just have to remember."  
  
"Yeah, I can see how you'd have to remember little things that avoid duels to the death." Naomi said dryly.  
  
"Da." Aeryn agreed. "That would be nice. However--"  
  
"Hold on a second," Lara-Su interjected. "Everyone quiet. I think I heard something." Everyone strained their ears, but heard nothing.  
  
"Are you sure?" Teilani asked.  
  
"Guardian hearing never lies. I heard SOMETHING." Lara insisted.  
  
"I guess the boys are up to something. Some kind of trouble, I'd bet." Naomi grinned. "Who's up for giving them a little trouble in return?" Teilani and Lara-Su nodded but Aeryn kept silent, not wanting to get drawn into their game. In a second, it would be a moot point.  
  
Naomi slowly opened the door, pillow in hand, ready to give whoever it was a piece of her mind. Unfortunately, their midnight callers had other plans. As soon as Naomi opened the door, five armed soldiers burst into the room. They were completely covered by some kind of camouflage uniform and were obviously NOT the Royal Guard. Before anyone even thought to resist, one of the assailants raised his weapon and fired at Lara-Su.  
  
Lara groaned once, then she collapsed; stunned. Naomi tried to use her inherited super speed, but found that long nightgowns make running an impossibility. She was hit by a stun bolt too. The rest of the soldiers trained their weapons on Teilani and Aeryn, knowing neither one of them posses any kind of super strength or speed.  
  
"Either one of you two makes so much as a peep, and you'll both end up like your friends. Understood?" Aeryn nodded, appreciating the dire situation for what it was. Teilani nodded too, her eyes wide with fear and shock.  
  
"Good." The lead soldier said. "Now, hands up and march!" Teilani and Aeryn agreed, albeit not that happily. As Aeryn was marched out the door, she spied one of their kidnappers carrying the still unconscious Lara-Su. Naomi however, was left behind.  
  
"This makes no sense." Aeryn thought to herself. Why go through the trouble and the risk of sneaking into the Royal Palace and then NOT abduct the Crown Princess? Since she saw no second team of abductors, Aeryn could only assume that she, Teilani, and Lara-Su were the targets. "But not Naomi or the boys or even the Royal Family. Why go through all this trouble for us? What do we have in common?" It didn't take long for her to figure out. "We're all echidnas! If I were a gambler, I'd say that the odds were that our abductors are too. But that doesn't answer where they're taking us or why."  
  
Aeryn's thoughts were abruptly cut off as she heard a muffled curse. One her captors had been tackled by someone; she couldn't see the face. But she could make out a few characteristics. Long tail, wide stance, round ears...a kangaroo.  
  
"Christopher!" Teilani cried out, coming to the same conclusion as Aeryn.  
  
"Run!" He shouted as he whacked another guard with his tail. Aeryn wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a tooth get knocked out.   
  
"Hope that isn't Christopher's." She thought to herself. She shut such thoughts out of her head as she launched her elbow into the nearest guard's gut. She briefly saw Teilani doing the same. Unfortunately the kidnappers still had one advantage they lacked, namely stun guns. The guard Christopher originally tackled smacked him in the head with the butt of his rife. Aeryn winced at the sound of a CRACK and hoped that it was the gun that had cracked. Christopher fell to the floor with a groan, where his attacked took a sadistic relish in kicking him in the ribs while he was down.  
  
"Leave him alone!" Aeryn shouted. In response, the guard closest to her fired off a stun bolt that felled Teilani. He then pointed the muzzle of the rifle at her skull.  
  
"The next word you say costs your friend his life." He said. Aeryn's face betrayed none of her thoughts or feelings, but internally...  
  
After another couple of kicks and jabs with his rifle, the guard left the battered and bleeding Christopher and took position with his cohorts.  
  
"Bastard." Aeryn hissed. Coldly and calmly, which was somehow more unnerving to her kidnapper.  
  
"Shut up." To his coconspirators, he said; "Let's go!" Aeryn was dragged out of the Palace, along with the still unconscious Teilani and Lara-Su. But all she could think about was Christopher; still lying unconscious on the palace floor.  
  
*** 


	7. The Realization

***  
  
Queen Sally was sleeping comfortably in her bed with her husband, Sonic. Suddenly, the sound of her daughter screaming jolted her awake. "Naomi! Sonic, wake up!" She shook him until he woke up.  
  
"Sal? What is it?" He groaned. "It's too early."  
  
"Sonic, Naomi just screamed!" Sonic just rubbed his eyes. "Probably another one of Nick's pranks."  
  
"Will you get your butt out of bed?!" Sally said angrily as she rolled him out of bed. "Come on!" She said as she put on a robe and hurried out the door, Sonic following suit. Sally hurried up the steps and clasped her hands to her mouth when she saw a clearly panicked Naomi standing over a bleeding and unconscious Christopher. Nick, Derek, Thomas, and Will showed up a few seconds later.  
  
"Guards! Call for a doctor!" Sally shouted. As soon as she saw he orders being carried out, she turned to Naomi. "Naomi what happened?" Sally asked, trying to keep a cool facade.  
  
Naomi ran to her mother and buried her head in Sally's shoulder. Sally's shoulder was soon damp with tears, but she didn't even notice. "T-they came into our room. Shot Lara, shot m-me and now they're all gone!" She blubbered into her mother's shoulder.  
  
"Who Naomi? Who did this?"  
  
"I don't know!" She wailed. "Then I came out here and found Christopher and he was...he was--"  
  
"Shhh. It's okay Naomi, it's okay. Everything will be just fine. Are you sure you're all right?" Naomi nodded, her lip trembling. "Okay, then; Nick, take your sister and your friends and go down stairs. I'll post some guards, just to be on the safe side."  
  
"Right, mom." Nick said, too stunned to do anything else. As Nick escorted his sister and his friends down the stairs, Sally tapped her foot impatiently; something she had picked up from her husband.  
  
"Where's that doctor?!"  
  
"Here Your Majesty!" Dr. Joseph Pastor, a young raccoon barely out of Medical School, ran up the stairs and immediately began to examine the injured kangaroo. He was the Royal Physician, replacing the retired Dr. Horatio Quack. He was relatively new, but came highly recommended. Time to see if those recommendations were justified.  
  
After examining Christopher for a few minutes, he turned back to Sally and Sonic. "Your Majesty, I--"  
  
"Is he going to be all right?" Sally asked, not in the mood for pleasantries.  
  
"He suffered a rather nasty concussion and broke three ribs. There may have been some internal damage had it continued. He's going to make a full recovery." Sally sighed, relieved.  
  
"Do you know when he'll regain conscious?" She knew the Commander of His Majesty's Secret Service, Hershey, would want to ask him some questions about the assault.  
  
Dr. Pastor paused. "It's hard to say. He could wake up in a few minutes or in a few days. At any rate, he's safe enough to move and I'd like to see him in a proper medical facility." Sally nodded.  
  
"Of course, I'll have some guards escort both of you to the nearest hospital. I don't think I have to tell you NOT to draw unnecessary attention."  
  
"I understand Your Majesty." He bowed once before directing some orderlies to gently place Christopher on a stretcher and carry him away.  
  
"Sal? What do we do now?" Sonic asked. She shook her head.  
  
"I'm not sure. But for now, we tighten security; as quietly as possible. Then we get the Secret Service and try to figure out what to do next."  
  
"That's why you're the brains of the outfit." Sonic said. Sally nodded, not really paying him any mind. She was too busy trying to think of the reason for the attack.  
  
"They risked an awful lot; attacking the Palace, risking the anger of the Acorn Kingdom, kidnapping right under the nose of the Royal Family. I'm only glad that Naomi and Nick are all right and they're still safe and sound." She shook her head in anger. What kind of thought was that? What about Teilani, Lara-Su, and Aeryn? That was a cold thought, not even thinking about the other children so long as her own were safe.  
  
"We have to get them back. Then, we find out who could be behind something this foul. Whoever they are, they're good; pulling off a stunt like this. But where were would they head? An outlying province of the Acorn Kingdom? Downunda? The SSSR? They'd be pretty stupid if they tried hiding in the SSSR. I just hope the children are okay..."  
  
Sally's face paled as she thought of an even more terrifying thought. What was she going to tell their parents?!  
  
*** 


	8. A Not So Warm Welcome to Hell, Part I

***  
  
Aeryn tried not to shiver at the cold wind whipping around her. After her abduction, the kidnappers used a cloaked hover transport to ferry themselves and their captives out of Mobotropolis and out over the sea. The wind was cold, the night was cold, and the falling rain was freezing. Suffice to say, it was just not Aeryn's day.  
  
Aeryn tried to figure out where they were headed, but was unable to keep track of their speed or direction. After an hour or so, the transport began to descend over an island. She was prodded by her captors into a run down building, along with the still unconscious Lara-Su and Teilani. As soon as they entered the building, one of her captors hit a secret switch to reveal an elevator that took them down below.  
  
The first thing she noticed that it was cold, unnaturally so. There must have been some cooling system on. She was again marched down a long corridor that seemed to stretch on forever. When they finally reached a pair of doors, they stopped. The first thing they did was take out a syringe full of some strange green liquid and inject it into Lara's arm.  
  
"What are you doing?" Aeryn demanded. She got no answer. The guards shoved Aeryn through the doors and dragged in Lara and Teilani before leaving. Aeryn immediately tried the door, but found that it was locked. Not surprising, but still disappointing.  
  
Her attention was diverted by a groan as Teilani sat up and Lara awoke a moment later.  
  
"What happened?" Lara asked confused.  
  
"We were taken prisoner." Aeryn said tersely.  
  
"Is there a way out?"  
  
"Only those doors." Aeryn said, pointing to the doors they had just been forced through, and then at a large metal door on the other side of the room.  
  
"Let me handle this." Lara said as she walked to the locked door. "There are times when having Chaos energy in my veins can be a real life saver." She pulled hard on the door, straining every muscle she had. It didn't even budge. "What the--"  
  
"Your efforts are useless." A feminine voice hissed over a loud speaker. "You've been injected with a special chemical that counteracts the effects of your Chaos powers. You're as weak as a kitten."  
  
"Who are you?" Teilani asked. "Why have you brought us here?"  
  
"All will be explained shortly." With a creak and a moan, the large metal doors swung open. "Enter."  
  
"And if we don't?" Lara-Su asked.  
  
"You'll be dragged in. Now enter!" Seeing as there was no choice, the three girls passed through the doors and saw nothing; save for an extended moving tread that headed down another long corridor.  
  
"Get on." The voice commanded. Again, they had no choice put to comply. As the tread carried them forward, towards the end of the corridor, the saw nothing that would give them any clue as to where the were or who had abducted them. The tread halted. To their right was a laundry bin.  
  
"Strip." The voice ordered. The three balked.  
  
"Fat chance." Lara declared stubbornly. Even as she spoke, several ports in the wall opened up; revealing laser turrets that swiveled at them.  
  
"I hate repeating myself." The voice said irritably. "Strip!" Angry, frustrated, and humiliated, the girls again had no choice. After they deposited their clothes in the bin, the tread started up again. Ahead of them were several shower heads with running water. They hoped that the water would at least warm them up.  
  
Once again, they had no such luck. All three were dowsed with ice-cold water and the tread inexorably carried them on.  
  
"W-Where is th-this t-thing t-taking us?" Teilani asked through chattering teeth. Finally, after an eternity of waiting; the tread stopped. They got off and again the voice ordered them about, telling them where to head. As always, the gun ports in the walls were aimed at them. After another ten minutes of marching, the three came to a door where a female echidna in uniform stood.  
  
Without a word she handed each of them a small tag on a chain. Each tag was a number. Teilani was number 62 2653, Lara-Su was 93 5648, and Aeryn was 19 1982. After some not so gentle prodding, the three were ushered into another cold, sterile room. Another echidna bade them enter as she called their names one by one. Teilani was first, the Lara-Su. Aeryn was the last.  
  
When it was her turn, Aeryn walked through the doors into what appeared to be a medical facility of some sort. She did not have long to wait before a female in doctor's coat entered. "Another echidna." Aeryn observed silently.  
  
"Open your mouth." The doctor ordered. Used to the commanding tone that all doctors shared, Aeryn did so. After prodding her with a tongue depressor, the doctor did what would have been a normal checkup; had Aeryn been a patient and not a prisoner, that is.  
  
Aeryn patiently endured the poking and the prodding, not to mention this lights shined in her eyes, the instruments placed in her ear, and the blood-pressure device around her arm.  
  
Aeryn flinched as the cold stethoscope was placed against her chest. She thought she had known what cold was, growing up in Muscovite winters, but this place made Siberia seem like the Sahara. "Is that all?" She demanded irritably as the doctor removed her stethoscope and turned away.  
  
"Not quite; there's just one more thing to do-" the doctor said as she pulled on some latex gloves. "If you could please stand up and cough?"  
  
*** 


	9. A Not So Warm Welcome to Hell, Part II

***  
  
-A SHORT TIME LATER  
  
  
Aeryn turned to Teilani and said, "That was quite...embarrassing." As they were herded towards yet another room.  
  
"No kidding." Teilani said. After the doctor had finished with them, the girls were placed in another ice-cold shower and were immediately marched off before they could even dry off.  
  
Still naked, they were ordered to enter another door. As soon as they did, it was slammed shut behind them. It was a cell; bare except for four cots and a toilet. On each of the cots was a bundle of clothes, a shirt and a pair of pants. Each one had a number on it, corresponding exactly to the numbers they had been given. They were gray, drab, and made of a coarse, rough material.  
  
As soon as they had dressed one thing became abundantly clear. "These clothes don't fit!" Teilani said as she struggled to pull up a pair of pants that were obviously too small.  
  
"I hear that." Lara-Su said as she firmly held on to her own. Hers were obviously too big, she had to use both hands just to make sure they would stay up. "Wanna trade?"  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A sad female voice said from a dark corner of the room. It was an echidna similarly dressed in ill-fitting prison garb. "They know your number. If you try to trade with someone else, They'll know. Then you wont get any food or clothes."  
  
"Who are 'They' ?" Aeryn asked.  
  
"You'll find out soon enough." She said sadly, as if she just announced that a family member was dying.  
  
"And you are?" Lara asked.  
  
"82 3827." She answered.  
  
"Not your number, your NAME." Aeryn clarified. She hesitated for a moment before answering.  
  
"Taun-We." She said softly. "But They don't want us to use names."  
  
"Why not?" Teilani asked. Taun-We just shook her head.  
  
"Best not to ask too many questions." She looked out the door apprehensively. "They'll call us for a Gathering soon. Just follow my lead."  
  
"But who-" Teilani's next question was cut off as the cell door opened. A pair of armed guards stood at the ready. They "escorted" the four females down into a large auditorium. Inside was a large crowd of echidna, neatly divided into rows and columns based on gender and encircled by armed soldiers.  
  
Aeryn and the others were ushered onto the girl's side of the room where they simply stood, as if awaiting someone. Suddenly, someone walked up to the podium. It was a purple female echidna in flowing robes.  
  
"Attention." She ordered, she was the voice they heard on the loud speakers! As the three newcomers looked around, they saw that the echidna prisoners in the crowd, crossed their arms over their chests; creating an X with their arms as they inclined their heads slightly.  
  
"Do it!" Taun-We hissed softly. "You don't want to make them angry." Teilani looked to Aeryn and Lara, as if asking their opinion. Aeryn just nodded once and Teilani relented. They imitated the gesture as best they could, and waited to see what would happen next.  
  
What happened was a two hour long diatribe with no purpose in mind other than to break the spirits of their captives. Aeryn just tuned her out. If she was going to learn anything useful, this wasn't the way how. Even as the wheels in her brain were turning, the rant went on.  
  
At several random points, the speaker would stamp her foot; each time, the prisoners would bow deeply, at the waist. After the third or fourth time, Aeryn thought she felt the contents of her stomach shifting around. At one point, Lara-Su, whose billowy trousers were barely clinging to her hips, slid down to her ankles.  
  
She bent down to pull them up when Taun-We caught her arm. "Leave them. If you break formation, they'll have all our heads." Lara yielded, grumbling under her breath. "Don't say anything." She warned Teilani and Aeryn. Aeryn saw Teilani bite her lip, but to prevent herself from laughing or crying, she never knew.  
  
After the speaker left the podium, they prisoners filed out of the auditorium and back to their cells. Aeryn for one was relieved, her legs felt like rubber after standing in one spot for so long.  
  
As they were being taken back to their cell, Taun-We nudged Aeryn with her elbow. "As soon as we get back to our cell, follow my lead."  
  
"That's what we've been doing since we got here." Aeryn observed dryly. "Lead on." Aeryn followed Taun-We even as she looked for any avenues of escape; unfortunately, she found none.  
  
After the cell door slammed shut behind them, Taun-We went to her cot and lied down. "Dinner should come soon." She said.  
  
"Good, because I'm starving." Lara said as she sat on her own cot.  
  
"After that, a laundry cart arrives."  
  
"Any chance we could hide in it?" Teilani asked.  
  
"You watch too many prison movies." Lara said. Taun-We shook her head.  
  
"They never open the door except to let us out in the morning and to lock us in at night. Everything that has to go in or out goes through that slot." She indicated a small slot near the bottom of the door.  
  
"Why the laundry service?" Lara asked.  
  
"They clean the uniforms and give us new ones tomorrow. Unless you want to try to sleep in those." Lara just wrinkled her nose and shook her head. The uniforms smelled like they hadn't been washed in a month, and that was BEFORE Teilani, Aeryn, and Lara-Su even arrived.  
  
"Any chance we'll get clothes that actually FIT?" Teilani asked. Taun-We shrugged.  
  
"Some days your clothes are too big, others they're too small. Sometimes the shirt fits fine and the pants don't. Or vice versa. It changes from day to day."  
  
"Terrific." Lara said. "And where's that dinner you were talking about?" Taun-We opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a rapping noise on the door.  
  
"Meals." A bored voice said as four trays of food were pushed through the slot. The food was plain, unimaginative, and bland. But at that moment, it was the best meal they ever had.  
  
After they finished, they pushed the trays back through the slot, along with their filthy uniforms. They then crawled under their paper-thin blankets and tried to get some sleep.  
  
"Shouldn't we be planning on how to get out of here?" Lara asked at one point.  
  
"Trust me, we only get a few hours of sleep. If you try to spend them planing an escape, you'll be too tired in the morning to do anything." Taun-We said. "We'll talk tomorrow, at breakfast. Okay?"  
  
"Fine." Lara said, clearly upset. "I have not had a good day. And I don't think tomorrow will be any better."  
  
"Heh, welcome to Hell." Taun-We said sullenly. No one disagreed.  
  
*** 


	10. Introducing Nikolai Odezvan

***  
  
"He's going to kill me." Sally said as she walked with her two companions; the Commander of the Secret Service, Hershey St. John and the head of the Royal Guards, General Antoine D'Coolette. "He's going to pin my fur to his wall."  
  
"Maybe he just wants to say hello." Hershey suggested, weakly.  
  
"Oh, I'm sure that's it." Sally said sarcastically. "The Premier of the SSSR, President of the Presidium, General-Secretary of the CPSU, Chairman of the Politburo, and all around wise-ass Nikolai Odezvan just HAPPENS to give me call not three hours after his daughter vanishes. Yeah, maybe it's just a friendly hello." She sighed. "Sorry, Hershey. It's just that, every time there's a situation and HE comes calling, I just get this nerve behind my eye that twitches incessantly."  
  
"I get that too, every time I have to go meet with my Ex." Sally mentally winced. Hershey's Ex, Geoffrey St. John had once been Head of His Majesty's Secret Service. But his bright career soon came to an end, due in large part to rampant alcoholism. It cost him his rank, his job, and then his wife and son. Now Geoffrey lives alone in the outskirts of Mobotropolis. Not a pleasant thing to think about. Pushing her thought's of Geoffrey away, Sally turned to Hershey.  
  
"Is there any chance he doesn't know Aeryn's gone? Any chance that his Committee for State Security--What's its name again?"  
  
"The Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti." Hershey supplied.  
  
"Right. Any chance that they DON'T already know?"  
  
"I wouldn't put anything past them."  
  
"Great. Antoine, go tighten Palace security." He bowed and walked away. "I guess, I can't put this off. Can I?"  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty."  
  
"Going to have to face the music."  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty."  
  
"And you're going to be there, right by my side."  
  
"No, Your Majesty."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Sally, the job of the Secret Service is to protect you from bodily harm. Tongue lashings are something else all together. Besides, I have to go consult with my people. By your leave, Majesty." Hershey said before she too, walked away.  
  
"I guess it's true what they say about finding good help." She muttered. "Might as well get it over with." She said as she entered a private communications room. She turned on the screen.  
  
"Comrade Odezvan, what can I do for you?" She asked in a civil tone, as if she were one of his countrymen.  
  
"Queen Sally." He returned, just as civil. "I'd like to speak to my daughter, if you don't mind." Sally hesitated, feeling like a child who had her hand caught in the cookie jar. Sally shook her head. She was a world leader, not some lackey. She was his equal, and he hers. Time to remind him of that.  
  
"Aeryn isn't here."  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Sally took a deep breath.  
  
"Aeryn was abducted by parties unknown three hours ago, along with Lara-Su Echidna and Princess Teilani of Mercia."  
  
"WHAT?! I leave my daughter with you for a few hours and she ends up missing?! What kind of negligent, irresponsible, INCOMPETENCE goes on in your Kingdom?! Your Highness." He added, as an insult.  
  
"You don't think I feel horrible for whole situation?! She was my guest, my children's friend, hell, she was like a niece to me. I haven't felt this horribly since the day Robotnik took over; this is my fault and I know it! But you," She pointed angrily at the screen, not even noticing the tear that rolled down her face. "Spare me the charade. You KNEW she was missing LONG before you ever called. I half expect that you found out before I did. If you want to blame me, rake me over coals, fine! Be my guest! There's NOTHING you can say to me that I already haven't said to myself. If you want to go on pretending that you didn't know about this before you called, that's fine with me too. Or maybe you can drop the act and we can plan on a way to get them back. Which one will it be?"  
  
Nikolai said nothing for a long time. Then, he absently flicked a switch on his desk. "As usual, your calm and level headed nature prevails." He said dryly. "Yes, I knew she was gone before I called you. My apologies for that 'charade' as you put it, but it was necessary. Nichevo." He added, it can't be helped.  
  
"Necessary?!"  
  
"The line wasn't secure. Your whole security is compromised, and I am NOT talking about MY people. I'm talking about the people responsible for this."  
  
"Go on."  
  
"It have been informed," Meaning his spies had told him, "That there has been a rise in unusual activities from echidna communities worldwide."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"In the last four months, echidna children worldwide have been disappearing. Quietly, slowly. Echidna children in orphanages, children on the streets, and especially in poor areas have vanished. I've had reports from Crater City in Downunda, as well as Mercia, the Floating Island, and even in the United Acorn Kingdom. Furthermore, whoever is behind it has been very clever. They make it seem as though the children and their parents are going on a vacation. Only the parents turn up some weeks later, with no memory of anything that has happened."  
  
"Oh my gosh, that's horrible! Do your people have any ideas whose behind it?"  
  
"Here's a hint; think of a certain purple echidna. She's a fascist, reactionary bitch with super-nationalistic tendencies and cold as a witch's--"  
  
"Gala-Na!"  
  
"Ochen khorosho." Nikolai applauded silently. "She's been secretly funding racist organizations in echidna population centers. Trying to encourage immigration BACK to Albion. She even suggested that the Floating Island should land in the Emerald Sea, next to Albion. After they expel the dingoes and other non-echidnas that is."  
  
"That cold-hearted manipulative little--"  
  
"Tsk, tsk Sally. That's hardly the proper language for one of such Royal status to have."  
  
"But it's okay for you? Is that it?"  
  
"I'm a simple Party man. Such bourgeois concepts as what is or is not 'appropriate' language have no bearing on me."  
  
"Fine, whatever. What do we do now?"  
  
"Rob O' the Hedge, Knuckles, and Julie-Su are all ready en route to Mobotropolis. Once they arrive, I'll tell you more."  
  
"Did you tell them--?"  
  
"Should I have?"  
  
"Nikolai--"  
  
"I'm kidding; yes I told them. Do you really think I'd make YOU tell an archer, a guardian, and an ex-Legionnaire that their kids are gone? And to their faces, no less?"  
  
Not missing a beat, she answered; "In a minute." Nikolai seemed to consider this.  
  
"You're right. I would. But I didn't. They've already been informed. I calmed them down and told them to go to Mobotropolis."  
  
"You just wanted to have the privilege of being the one to dress me down."  
  
"Sally, you're one of my oldest, dearest friends. Would I do that to you?" Sally said nothing, she simply raised an eyebrow. "Oh right, we covered that. Didn't we?"  
  
"You're awfully calm about this." Sally observed.  
  
"I'm saving my anger," His voice taking on a deadly edge. "I'm saving every bit of frustration and anger that bitch has put me through over the last decade and keeping it locked in a box. When the time is right, the box will open and I will come down like a hammer."  
  
"And sickle?" Sally jested.  
  
"And here I thought you didn't understand me. They'll be arriving shortly. I will contact you in one hour."  
  
"One hour." Sally nodded. "Got it. Until then."  
  
"Until then. Tyrant." He added politely.  
  
"Usurper." She returned, equally polite in their duel of wits. "Good-bye."  
  
"Do svidanya." The screen winked off. Sally turned off her screen and sat back in her chair. That wasn't QUITE as bad as she thought it would be. She might as well go get Sonic, they had company coming.  
*** 


	11. Bigotry 101

***  
  
Aeryn rolled over and groaned when that voice--that DAMNED voice!--was on loud speakers again. She didn't quite hear what she said, but it was some form of wake up call. Her three cell mates were also stirred from their slumber.  
  
"How long did we sleep?" Teilani asked tiredly.  
  
"Not long enough." Aeryn said bluntly. She turned to Taun-We. "Now what?"  
  
"As soon as the door opens," As if the door could hear her words, it opened. "We head down the corridor." She said as they left the room. When they reached an intersection, they saw the same moving tread in the floor.  
  
"I hate that thing." Lara muttered as they got on. The tread took them, along with several other female prisoners, twisting and turning down hallways and corridors.  
  
"Brace yourself, because this isn't going to be pleasant." Taun-We warned. A second later, the others saw what she meant. They flinched as they came under the shower heads and were doused with ice-cold water. A few minutes later, the tread came to a halt in front of several piles of clothing. After finding clothes with their numbers on them, they got dressed.  
  
The clothes were again ill-fitting, but it was better than nothing. "Now what?" Teilani asked Taun-We.  
  
"Now we have the joy," She rolled her eyes. "Of attending their special sessions to teach us the meaning of being echidnas." Guards directed them to a small classroom that was packed with other prisoners. An old bitter and looking echidna sat behind the teacher's desk.  
  
"Students." He said, as if saying it was supposed to make them forget that they were prisoners. "You are here to learn about destiny. Your destiny and the destiny of the echidna race. The oldest and most perfectly civilized people on all of Mobius!" Aeryn's disgust was almost palpable; but as usual, she would let her face not betray whatever she was thinking. Looking around, she saw that she wasn't the only one who disagreed. However there were some--those who had been there longer, she guessed--who looked as though they believed him. Oblivious to the mixed reactions to his statements, the doddering old bigot continued on.  
  
"We traversed the stars while the lower races wallowed in the mud. When they wrecked the planet we were forced into isolation; to protect our knowledge and our purity. Now we find ourselves scattered all across the face of Mobius; forced to live with inferior races and be contaminated by their filth and impure thoughts. Our blood has been diluted and our integrity lost."  
  
"What a load." Lara muttered to Aeryn and Teilani. Aeryn nodded.  
  
"I suspected as much." She whispered back.  
  
"But now is the time when we reclaim our glory," He continued. "We shall avenge ourselves upon our enemies who have humiliated us; the cats who drove our noble Pachamac to his death, the dingo filth that pollutes Echidnaopolis, and the race mixers and integrationists that would drag us down and have us wallow in the mud with the trash. Then we shall take our rightful place as the masters of Mobius!"  
  
Teilani clenched her fists, Lara-Su looked positively disgusted. Aeryn looked as if she wanted to rip that old fool apart, piece by piece. Not noticing, he hit a button on his desk. "Send it in." He ordered.  
  
'It' turned out to be a young dingo boy. He couldn't have been more that seven years old. Aeryn had to fight to maintain her composure. The poor boy was wearing nothing but rags, he was so thin that it didn't even look as though he could stand unaided. He looked starved, as if he hadn't been fed in several days. He was trembling, wide-eyed in fear.  
  
Walking over to the young dingo, the decrepit old racist began his bigoted ramblings. "Just look here, the cranium is far too small to be capable of supporting any REAL intelligence. Look how close together the eyes are. There isn't so much as a glimmer of intelligence behind this mutt's face. They could never hope to be more than mere beasts of burden; less useful than even a pasha." Aeryn could take no more.  
  
"Talking about yourself I see." She said loudly and clearly; so even that superannuated dunce couldn't miss her meaning. Lara-Su applauded, as did Teilani. The class gasped as the "professor" sputtered and coughed.  
  
"Send the trash away!" He snapped to a guard, who dragged the poor dingo boy away. "You three!" Pointing to Aeryn, Teilani, and Lara-Su "To my desk, now!" Not intimated in the least, the girls approached his desk.  
  
"You called, Mr. Ancient Fossil?" Teilani asked. Turning red (even for an echidna), he turned to face the class.  
  
"You see what the corruption of our race has caused?" He called to the class. "They have caused these pathetic excuses of echidnas; the daughter of a mutant--" Lara-Su growled. --A half-breed--" He said, referring to Teilani's hedgehog father. "--And the most disgusting off all; a self-hating echidna." Aeryn willed herself to say nothing and to do nothing to the old bastard. No matter how much he deserved it.  
  
"You see this brat here? She was born an pure-blooded echidna, but she was raised by a wolf bitch and an Overlander barbarian. Worse yet, her "parents" are nothing more than Bolsheviks and race-mixers. This child," He pointed at Aeryn. "Is ashamed of her own glorious heritage. She shuns this history of her race and instead preaches such misguided concepts as 'equality' for all peoples, even mud races and barbarians." He paused waiting for the words to sink in.  
  
"But there is hope, even for these three. Through of series of special classes and lessons, you will all learn the TRUTH of what it means to be an echidna. YOU are our future, the generation that will lead us back to glory. Class dismissed." As they rest of the class got up to leave, he pulled Aeryn, Teilani, and Lara-Su aside. "I will look forward to breaking you." He said. As they walked out the door, Aeryn replied.  
  
"I look forward to breaking YOU."  
  
"Preferably in half." Lara muttered.  
  
*** 


	12. A Surprising Development

***  
  
Naomi paced the floor in the hospital waiting room while her brother and her cousin just watched. "I can't stand not knowing!" She said, distraught. "Is he all right? What happened to the others?"  
  
"Calm down Naomi. I'm sure Christopher will be fine." Nick assured her, though he didn't hazard a guess as to what happened to Aeryn, Teilani, and Lara-Su. Thomas just sat that there, a morose look upon his face. Derek and William had been picked up when Antoine and Hershey met with Queen Sally. It was just the three of them in that waiting room, at four in the morning.  
  
Just as the Naomi's pacing was reduced to a crawl, a nurse entered the room. "He's awake and he wants to see you." She said. Before she knew what happened, Naomi and Nick sped past her with Thomas not far behind. They finally slowed when they approached Christopher's room. Naomi hesitantly knocked on the door.  
  
"Come in." Came the muffled response. As they walked in they saw Christopher laying in a hospital bed, his head generously wrapped in bandages. He smiled sadly. "Hi guys."  
  
"Hi Christopher." Naomi said softly. "How do you feel?"  
  
"Like I've been hit over the head with a rifle." He said bluntly. "I also feel like crap for not saving..." He trailed off, though everyone knew what he was thinking.  
  
"I'm going to go get Mom." Nick interrupted. "She should probably want to know that you're okay." He said as he walked out, leaving the three of them alone.  
  
"Christopher, it wasn't your fault." Naomi said.  
  
"Yes, it was."  
  
"You did the best you could." She countered.  
  
"My best wasn't good enough. I failed her."  
  
"Stop being so hard on yourself. We'll get her back, Chris." Naomi assured him. "I promise." He hesitated.  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
"I KNOW so. Princess' word of honor."  
  
"Thank you." He muttered.  
  
"Just like we'll get Lara-Su back." Naomi added for Thomas' sake. "And Teilani." Thomas nodded, mouthing his thanks silently. Turning back to Christopher, Naomi asked "Is there anything I can get you?" Christopher just licked his lips.  
  
"Can you pass me that glass of water?" He said, pointing at a glass on his bedside table.  
  
"Of course." Naomi said as she handed it to him.  
  
"Thanks." He said before he took a sip. "Ugh, do I have one merry hell of a headache."  
  
"Not that surprising." Naomi said. "You were rather beaten up when I found you."  
  
"Thanks for reminding me." He said sullenly.  
  
"Sorry. By the way, Mom called a dentist for you. Maybe you can save your tooth."  
  
"What tooth?"  
  
"This one," Naomi said, picking up a small petrie dish with a tooth in it. "I guess it got knocked out of your mouth during the fight." Looking confused, Christopher ran his tongue across his teeth trying to find a gap. He shook his head.  
  
"It's not mine."  
  
"It isn't?"  
  
"Nope. I guess someone else lost it during the fight."  
  
"Then....could this have come from whoever kidnapped the others?" Thomas asked.  
  
"I guess so." Christopher shrugged. "How does THAT help?"  
  
"I'm not quite sure," Naomi said. "But if we can find out who's tooth this is--"  
  
"--Maybe we can find out who took Lara-Su and the others!" Thomas finished. "Then we can go rescue them!" Naomi added, growing excited at the idea that they could help in their friends' rescue. She grabbed Christopher's shoulders and said. "Christopher you're a gem!" Then she kissed him, not noticing the huge blush that erupted across his face. She grabbed the tooth and dashed out the door to find Hershey.  
  
Christopher and Thomas just stared at the door Naomi just dashed through. "What just happened?" Christopher asked, trying to draw attention away from his flushed face. Thomas just shrugged.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure. But I think you just saved the day."  
  
"Did I? I'll have to take your word on that." He shifted uncomfortably in his bed. "Um...If you wouldn't mind could you not, uh--"  
  
"I take it you want me to promise not to tell Aeryn about this?" Thomas asked.  
  
"Would you please?" Christopher asked sheepishly.  
  
*** 


	13. The Roots of Racism

***  
  
"What was THAT all about?" Lara-Su asked Taun-We as they sat down to breakfast after their "class" ended.  
  
"They have those kind of classes before and after breakfast, they last all day, then we have a Gathering, and then we get shut in our cells for the night." She shrugged. "I've been here for two months--I think--and I've never seen any deviation from that routine."  
  
"Peachy." Teilani said. "But what is the point of this...this PLACE?"  
  
"It's an indoctrination center." Aeryn said softly, as if talking about the weather; which was still freezing.  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"What do you know about recent echidna history?" Teilani shrugged.  
  
"I always fell asleep during history."  
  
"Same here." Lara-Su added. "I take it you're a history buff?" Aeryn nodded.  
  
"I am. Here's the short version: Albion was the original homeland of the echidnas. With the exception of Echidnaopolis up on the Floating Island, virtually all echidnas lived there. But after the war ended and Robotnik defeated, many echidnas grew...dissatisfied with reactionary and isolationist attitude of the Albion High Council, particularly of Councilor Gala-Na. They began to emigrate, settle in other regions and began to interact with other species." She paused to take in a mouthful of a bland gruel that served as breakfast.  
  
"Go on." Teilani prodded.  
  
"These echidnas settled all over Mobius particularly in Mercia, Downunda, the Kingdom of Acorn, and the SSSR. However, this did not go over well with some of the more extreme elements in Albion. They clamped down on all immigration and sealed their borders. It has been rumored that some elements have been funding echidna supremacist movements designed to encourage echidna ultra-nationalism. Some even encourage racial violence." Lara-Su nodded.  
  
"Come to think of it, Dad DID mention that there was a rise in violence on the Floating Island. Most of it directed at dingoes; vandalism, harassment, even beatings. There was even an assassination attempt made on Councilor Namina Dingo."  
  
"Sounds like their calling card." Aeryn agreed. "This entire center is just one big recruitment center, only it isn't voluntary recruitment. If you just listen to the accents of the echidnas here, you'll find that they come from all over the world." She turned to Taun-We. "If I'm not mistaken, you come from Crater City." Crater City was built in Downunda, in the very crater that the Floating Island made when it separated from Downunda. When the mass echidna migrations began, they filled in the crater with water and built a city in the middle of it; hence the name, Crater City.  
  
"Yes, that's right. How did you--?"  
  
"I have a gift for accents and languages. This whole mess hall," she spread her arms to indicate the large cafeteria where they and the rest of the prisoners were eating breakfast. "Is just one big display of languages and native dialects. I've heard accents everywhere from Mobotropolis to Mercia."  
  
"So what you're saying is, that this is one big brainwashing camp?" Teilani asked.  
  
"Da. Everything they've done to us since we've got here; the showers, the doctors, the Gatherings, they've all been designed to weaken our spirit. Humiliate us, so we'll be easier to mold into what they want us to be."  
  
"Just terrific. I don't think I could stand listening to those racists for months on end." Lara said. "We have to get out of here. Then we have to shut this place down. For good."  
  
"I agree, but how do we escape? We don't even know where we are!" Teilani exclaimed.  
  
"Not at the moment, no." Aeryn agreed. "But Lara is absolutely right. We have to shut this racist factory down. And I think I may have a plan to do it..."  
  
*** 


	14. The Best Laid Plans of Mobians and Men O...

***  
  
The sun had just began to rise in Mobotropolis as the assembly met. Sally looked around the room. It was full of Kings, Premiers, Military officers, and Guardians. At any other time this would have been quite the diplomatic event. However, the reason for their gathering was anything BUT diplomatic. She looked at the assembled crowd; analyzing the expressions on all their faces.  
  
Sonic was standing by her side, ready to support her as always. Rob O' the Hedge, King of Mercia, was there as well. His wife, Queen Mari-An, had stayed in Mercia under heavy guard; just in case any abductors came after her. Knuckles and Julie-Su were there too, clearly ready for anything that would get their daughter back. Commander Hershey St. John and General Antoine D'Coolette were there, ready as ever to obey their Queen's orders.  
  
Premier Odezvan was also there...sort of. Rather a life sized hologram of him was present, transmitted all the way from the Kremlin. Standing beside the hologram was Sally's brother, Elias. He had renounced his title and his claim to the throne over a decade ago, but he continued to serve Mobius in a different function; as the head of a special force of Overlanders and mobians designed to act as the protectors of the peace. They were called Rangers, and acted as intermediaries, messengers, guardians, spies, soldiers, rescuers, and bodyguards for the leaders of Mobius.  
  
It was Elias who had called this meeting. "We have found the identity of the kidnappers." He announced, immediately grabbing everyone's attention. "Or rather, I should say the Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti has identified them. Nikolai, if you would?" He said, putting the ball in his court. The holographic Nikolai smiled and acknowledged the introduction.  
  
"Using the tooth that one of the attackers lost during the fight, we have been able to positively identify those responsible." He raised his arm as if to signal someone back on his side of the ocean. A second smaller hologram appeared next to him. Unlike Nikolai this one was a simple projection, not an actual person whose appearance was being transmitted. "His name is Zartan. He's a petty thug wanted by InterPol for being a black marketer, as well as being wanted for numerous counts smuggling, robbery, assault and battery, and various other crimes. Thanks to the efforts of the Rangers," he nodded to Elias. "We managed to track him and his gang down to a small hideaway on the coast of Avalon."  
  
Figures, Sally mused. The interior of Avalon was a peaceful, tranquil place run by sorcerers, dragons, and other such creatures. The coastal regions were another matter all together; they made a favorite location for hustlers, smugglers, pirates, bounty hunters, thieves, and other delightful locals. When she turned back to the conversation, Elias was speaking again.  
  
"The Rangers apprehended Zartan and his four companions. They didn't want to talk at first but when we offered to release them to the KGB, they suddenly became much more cooperative." An appreciative chuckle ran around the room. There was a near supernatural dread of the KGB among criminals and other underworld scum. After seeing how they crushed crime in the SSSR, criminals went through all kinds of trouble to avoid the wrath of the KGB. They knew that the KGB were more likely to use more pointed questions--and more pointed instruments--than the Rangers were. It was essentially a case of Good Cop, Bad Cop.  
  
"After we questioned them it was clear that they were simply mercenaries, the proverbial 'hired gun' as it were." Elias continued. "They don't know what they're employers wanted them for or why, but they did tell us where their base was."  
  
"Which is?" Julie-Su asked.  
  
"The Devil's Island Gulag." Sally shuddered. It made sense in a roundabout kind of way; who would think to look for criminals in an abandoned prison? Elias waited for the murmuring to subside before continuing. "I have already began putting together a team of some of my best Rangers, but we don't have the equipment to lay siege to an entire island." Nikolai stepped forward.  
  
"Elias has already discussed this with me, and I have pledged to send several vessels of the Worker's and Peasant's Red Navy to help in this endeavor." Sonic raised a brow.  
  
"What kind of vessels, exactly?"  
  
"The aircraft carriers Berlin and Kiev, the battleship Tolbukhin, the cruisers Lena, Rubicon, Volga, Tigris, Neva, and Danube, as well as half a dozen destroyers and submarines plus the medical ship Geneva." Odezvan answered mildly, as if assembling a task force capable of laying waste to entire nations was nothing out of the ordinary. Of course for him, it probably wasn't. Knuckles blinked in surprise.  
  
"How did you assemble that many ships that quickly?"  
  
"The Fifth Fleet was in Nippon and I knew Admiral Parck personally. I asked if he could spare a few ships and he said yes." Turning to Sally, Odezvan said; "They will leave Tokyo Bay within the hour. I would like your permission to take them into the waters of the United Restored Kingdom of Acorn, since the Devil's Island Gulag is YOUR territory. And the last time I ordered a fleet to sail into your waters the result was, shall we say, unfortunate?"  
  
Sally nodded. That "unfortunate incident" was the shelling of Mobotropolis by the Red Navy; back during the brief but bitter Mobotropolis-Moscow Conflict over ten years ago. Sally shook her head. "Now is not the time to get lost in the past." She told herself. "You have my permission to enter our waters for the duration of this crisis. And not one second more." She added mentally. Odezvan recognized the reluctance in her mind and nodded; as if in agreement with her silent pronouncement. Turning to the others he said;  
  
"The ships will head for the free city of Corell and will 'just happen' to pass by the Devil's Island. They'll come in range of the island by midday today. That's when we strike." Elias nodded in agreement.  
  
"The operation is planned for around noon. The Rangers will act in concert with the Red Navy, and whatever other ships your government's can spare." Until then, all we can do it monitor the island from satellite feeds and work out the details of this operation. As it stands, our best weapon is secrecy. The people behind this have no idea we're on to them and we have to make sure they go on thinking that. Without surprise, this whole scenario will turn very ugly, very fast."  
  
Elias had no sooner said this than the doors slammed open. A tired, panting messenger ran in. "Your Majesty! Someone made an unauthorized takeoff with the shuttle Guardian Knuckles came down in!" Right on his heels came a second messenger.  
  
"Your Majesty! Princess Naomi, Prince Nick, and Thomas Acorn have vanished from the Palace; as has Christopher Kangaroo from the Royal Hospital! They were last seen at the landing pad!"  
  
Sally's face darkened in anger as everyone else looked stunned. "If I ever get my hands on them." She swore aloud. "I'll kill them!"  
  
*** 


	15. The Thoughts and Feelings of a Kangaroo

***  
  
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Christopher asked sounding queasy, valiantly trying not to be sick.  
  
"I've been flying shuttles ever since I could walk." Thomas replied quite mildly. "We aren't going to crash, I promise you that. If we do, feel free to sue your travel agent."  
  
"But how do we know where to go?"  
  
"Thomas is a Ranger, trust him." Naomi answered. "He managed to tap into Palace Security to listen in on the big discussion with mom, didn't he?"  
  
"Yeah...But we only got bits and pieces of it."  
  
"So? We heard them say that they're being held at the Devil's Island Gulag. What else do we have to know?" Naomi replied.  
  
"But-"  
  
"Look Christopher," Nick cut in sharply. "Do you want to save Aeryn or not?"  
  
"Of course I do!" Christopher snapped; surprising everyone, including himself, by the uncharacteristic anger in his voice. They flew in silence for a while, none of them saying anything. After an hour of flying over wide expanses of nothingness, Thomas spoke up.  
  
"We're coming up on the Devil's Island. Activating stealth device." At the flick of a switch, the hovercraft disappeared from any watching radar or other sensory devices. As the hovercraft set down in the shade of the former prison complex; Naomi, Nick, Thomas, and Christopher quietly crept out.  
  
They entered the largest building, the old prison complex and began to look around.  
  
"Man, this place looks like no one's been in here for years!" Nick observed. "I thought those creeps were supposed to be hiding in here!"  
  
"They said the Devil's Island, they didn't say what building." Naomi pointed out. "But this place is huge! We could search for days and not find them!"  
  
"All the more reason to start searching." Thomas replied. "Let's get started." They split up and began to search the area, trying to find some trace of their friends. Nick and Naomi dashed in and out of buildings using their super speed. Thomas, using his Ranger skills, darted in and out of shadows; all impossible to track.  
  
Christopher searched too, but could not help but feel a little out of place. Naomi and Nick had super speed, Thomas had all the skills and training of the Rangers, "So what," He wondered to himself "Do I have?" The only answer he could draw was: nothing. Needless to say, it was a really depressing thought. So depressing in fact, that he only narrowly avoided stepping on a six-inch nail.  
  
Cursing his own idiocy and lack of any REAL skills, he continued to search; though he really didn't expect to find anything. After all, if Naomi, Nick, and Thomas couldn't find anything, what chance did a nobody like him have?  
  
He shook his head, trying to clear such thoughts from his mind. If only bad thoughts could be dispelled so easily...He tried to focus on finding Aeryn and the others but had no more luck now than he did before. Christopher continued to search the premises, but was so intent on looking for Aeryn and the others, he failed to look where he was going.  
  
He ended up walking into a protruding beam, battering his already broken ribs. He clutched his side in pain as sat down against a partially collapsed wall. Christopher tried taking deep breaths, but it hurt even to breathe. He just sat there, trying not to cry out, until the pain began to subside. Suddenly, he felt a gust of wind as Naomi sped by. She backtracked when she saw Christopher sitting there and stopped beside him. Seeing him in pain, she decided to sit down next to him.  
  
"You okay?" She asked, concerned.  
  
"Just. My. Ribs." He ground out between his clenched teeth.  
  
"Do you need help? I can go get the first aid kit from the shuttle."  
  
"No, I'll be okay. My fault really, wasn't watching where I was going."  
  
"You sure you're going to be all right."  
  
"Yeah." He said unconvincingly. "I'll be fine."  
  
"Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical. You haven't been 'fine' during this entire expedition; and I'm not talking about your injuries. Either you tell me, or I will carry you back to the shuttle, tie you up, and lock you in until this is over."  
  
"Yes, Your Highness." He smiled, to show that he was joking; but it wasn't a real smile, more of a forced, weary expression. He sighed, then winced as he felt a pang in his ribs. "I'm afraid about what may have happened to Aeryn."  
  
"We all are. We all want to get her, and the others, back."  
  
"You three have special skills and traits. What do I have? Aside from a concussion and three broken ribs, that is."  
  
"You have a kind heart, and a kind soul." Naomi answered, not even thinking about the answer. Christopher just shut his eyes and groaned; whether it was in pain or in disagreement, Naomi wasn't sure. "You might not have the same physical strengths Thomas, Nick, or I might have. But you're still here, and it takes a lot of guts to stick around here for the sake of a friend. Especially when the odds are against you. You showed that before, at the Palace."  
  
"For all the good it did." He lamented.  
  
"Yes, for the good it did. If it wasn't for you we wouldn't even know where they were."  
  
"We still don't know where they are." He pointed out.  
  
"We'll find her, don't worry." Naomi assured him  
  
"That's just it; I DO worry. I'm not like you Naomi. I'm not like any of you. I can't go headlong into the face of danger with a smile on my face and a song in my heart. The simple truth is that I'm bloody terrified; all the time. I keep waiting to crack, to turn around and run; leaving everyone else behind. I can't do this."  
  
"Chris, being scared is perfectly normal. It's nothing to be ashamed of."  
  
"Yeah, right." He muttered to himself. Naomi sighed in frustration.  
  
"Christopher when we get back, remind me to sign you up for a self-confidence seminar. Stop being so hard on yourself; it isn't doing you, or Aeryn, any good to be constantly looking for the cloud in the silver-lining. Now you are going to listen to me, and listen good; I watched Aeryn while she was at the Palace and I watched you. And I've come to the conclusion that she would never put up with a pathetic, self-pitying nobody. Therefore, since she hangs out with you and she would not associate with pathetic nobodies; you ergo, are not a nobody." Naomi stated. "Since you are not a self-pitying nobody, you shouldn't act like one. That's my logic anyway; feel free to argue with it, but know that if you do, I'll have to kick your butt."  
  
"Well who am I to argue with a princess?" Christopher smiled. "Thanks, I needed that."  
  
"Yes you did." Naomi agreed. "Anything else you'd like?"  
  
"Aside from a shot of morphine?" He laughed, before a twinge of pain from his ribs forced him to stop. "I'm still afraid." Naomi nodded sympathetically.  
  
"I think we all are. But the fact that you're willing to admit it sets you apart from other guys I know. I can't see Nick or Derek or Will actually admit to being scared. Thomas, maybe; but I'm not sure. I think it shows a level of maturity to admit to one's fears." Christopher looked down. "I'm sure Aeryn feels the same way." Naomi added.  
  
"You really think so?"  
  
"Trust me on this, Aeryn doesn't seem the type to hang around with immature boys. I think she likes you." Naomi added with a smirk, causing Christopher to flush. At least, she had gotten his mind off of worrying.  
  
"Does everybody know?" Christopher asked in frustration. Naomi nodded.  
  
"Probably." Christopher groaned.  
  
"Terrific." Before Naomi could respond, Nick sped over.  
  
"Hey guys! Thomas thinks he found where they took the girls!" THAT certainly got Naomi and Christopher up an about. "Come on!" They followed Nick back to the main prison complex, where they began the search.  
  
"Well?" Naomi asked Thomas when they arrived.  
  
"The reason we haven't found them is because they aren't on the Devil's Island Gulag."  
  
"What?! But we heard--"  
  
"I said they aren't ON the Devil's Island Gulag. They're beneath it."  
  
"How did you figure that out?" Naomi asked. Thomas pointed to the wall.  
  
"Look at the switches on the wall. All of them have wires connecting them to the main prison generator. But this one," He pointed to one switch. "Isn't connected to the generator. It's connected to this machinery over here." He pointed to a large machine welded to the wall. "But this machinery is far too new to be part of the prison. This was installed recently, and since the machine isn't hooked up to anything above ground--"  
  
"It must be connected to something BELOW ground! Like a secret complex for example!" Naomi exclaimed. "Remind me to thank Uncle Elias for training you so well."  
  
"Well what are we waiting for?" Nick said impatiently. "Throw the switch already!" No sooner had Thomas thrown the switch, than the entire floor of the complex descended down into the ground. When it came to a halt, the quartet found themselves in a gigantic artificial, underground compound. They followed the underground tunnel and stopped in front of a door.  
  
"Well come on! Open it!" Nick prodded.  
  
"Shouldn't we wait to make sure it's safe?" Christopher asked.  
  
"Every minute we wait means another minute they have to prepare for a rescue. Come on!" Nick said as he kicked the door open. His jaw dropped and his face paled. "Uh oh."  
  
On the other side of the door were six armed guards, all carrying laser rifles pointed at their heads. Nick, Thomas, and Christopher turned to Naomi, silently asking her what to do. With a helpless look on her face she slowly raised her hands. The others followed suit.  
  
"Aww crap." Christopher said as they were led inside. It was the last thing any of them said for a long time.  
  
*** 


	16. The Shortest Prison Breakout in History

***  
  
"THIS is your plan?!" Lara-Su exclaimed in a whisper.  
  
"If you have any better ideas, please let me know. Otherwise, keep it down! It was hard to enough to trigger the door's locking mechanism. Feeding a loop to the monitors was harder. And this is considerably harder than that!" Aeryn said as she worked. She and Lara-Su we hiding in a corner of a hallway, fiddling around with the environmental controls.  
  
"All I'm saying is that this sounds a bit too unpredictable." Lara answered.  
  
"I'm not disagreeing with you. But this is the best I could do. Do you think you could open that panel?" Aeryn asked. Lara sighed and nodded. She took a deep breath and with a wince of concentration, she willed her knuckle spurs to unsheathe. It hurt, like it always did, but at least she didn't have to go through life with them always present; most of the time they were retracted.  
  
Lara placed her spurs against one of the wall panels, using them as a crowbar to pry it open. With a pop and a groan it fell to the floor, exposing the wiring behind it. Aeryn nodded.  
  
"Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me," She said as she got on the floor and crawled under the wiring so that only her legs were visible. She worked in silence for several minutes; re-crossing wires and tampering with the electronics. She got up and brushed herself off. "Done. In two minutes a dampening field will go up that will render all particle and beam weapons useless. They wont be able to shoot."  
  
"We don't have guns either." Lara pointed out.  
  
"But now we have a level playing field. Plus there are a lot more of us than there are of them. Now all we need to do is induce the others to rise up."  
  
"You make it sound so simple." Lara sighed. "But you're right, it's better than anything we've got. Let's go." They walked down the hall and were almost to their cell when a voice called out.  
  
"Stop where you are or your friends die!" Turning around, they saw an armed company of guards their guns pointed at none other than Naomi, Nick, Christopher, and Thomas. Their guns, Aeryn noted with some dismay, were not laser rifles but projectile weapons; as such, her dampening field wouldn't affect bullets in the least.  
  
"How did you know we were here?" Lara-Su asked as they raised their hands.  
  
"You." The lead guard answered, taking them both off guard. "The serum that suppresses your powers gives off a rather unique harmless form of radiation that our sensors can pick up with ease." He grinned. "You might as well have been wearing a bell around your neck." Lara felt her face flush as she looked down, ashamed.  
  
"It's not your fault." Aeryn whispered to her. "And what are you doing here?" She asked of her captive friends.  
  
"We came to rescue you." Naomi said a little sheepishly. Aeryn nodded in understanding."Sorry."  
  
"Enough of this!" The guard shouted. "Take them away! And their friends too! If any of them so much as grunt, shoot them." As they were hauled away, Aeryn shot her would-be rescuers a particularly scathing glance.  
  
"I must say, nicely done." She said, not even bothering to keep the scathing sarcasm from her voice. Naomi winced, Nick shrugged helplessly, Thomas gave no indication of hearing her, and Christopher lowered his ears in a gesture of shame; feeling worse than he did when he was first taken prisoner. Aeryn sighed, shaking her head; completely at a loss.  
  
*** 


	17. The Arrival of the Cavalry

***  
  
Christopher bit his lip to keep himself from crying out every time a guard jabbed him in the ribs. But even that pain seemed insignificant compared to the pain of knowing how disappointed Aeryn was with him. He had failed, again.  
  
He tried to turn his head to face Aeryn, but could not bear to even look at her. He kept his head down, staring morosely at his feet. As the guards escorted them into auditorium, he saw Teilani and another echidna he didn't know were already being held there. He saw Teilani sigh as she saw that her friends were also captured. As the podium, a particularly sly looking purple echidna stood waiting for them.  
  
"Nice of you to join us." She said as they were instructed to stand in front of the podium. Turning to Aeryn and Lara she said "Your attempt to escape combined ingenuity with daring. You will contribute much to our cause."  
  
"I will contribute nothing." Aeryn said coolly, regarding her captor with an icy stare.  
  
"You will. Just think of all the good you could do for echidnas everywhere! As you can tell by their bungled 'rescue attempt,' these pitiful fools are of no use to anyone; especially not as 'friends.' "  
  
"I will determine for myself who is my friend and who is my enemy." Aeryn answered, never raising or lowering her voice. "I'm only sorry my real friends," her eyes darted to Christopher, "Had to end up in this hell hole."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that." Her nemesis clucked. "Still, if you wont join us, then I suppose you can always be an example of what happens to those who oppose us. Guards, take her away!"  
  
As the guard lunged to grab Aeryn, Lara responded by jabbing her elbow into his solar plexus, who then collapsed like house of cards. After that, all hell broke loose. Just as the guards were about to regroup, an earth shattering "BOOM!" sent pieces of the roof falling down. One large chunk was about to fall right where Aeryn was standing!  
  
Not even thinking about the danger, Christopher practically flew over the heads of the guards surrounding him, tackling Aeryn mere seconds before she would have been crushed. Christopher however was not quite as fortunate. Pieces of another chunk landed on his leg as he pushed Aeryn to safety. From the sickening crunch Aeryn heard, she could only conclude that something had been broken.  
  
Practically fuming with rage, she turned her fury loose on the nearest guard, rendering him unconscious within moments. By this time most of the guards who were not unconscious or otherwise incapacitated had fled. Scarce seconds later, nondescript looking soldiers--apparently unarmed--entered the room with quite grace and stealth. Two set to tending to the wounded Christopher as a third apprehended the purple female who appeared to be the ring leader of this operation. The leader of these new troops turned to address the beleaguered group of teens they had been sent to rescue.  
  
Thomas nodded to them. "You're late." He admonished his fellow rangers. One of them shook his head.  
  
"Nonsense. You're just early, as usual Thomas."  
  
"If you say so Predator Hawk. But I doubt it. In any case, there are over twelve hundred prisoners here who need rescuing. Plus some particularly nasty people who need arresting. I suggest you take care of it." Predator Hawk nodded.  
  
"I'm sure Fiona can handle it. Apparently, someone activated a dampening field that nullified their weapons. Makes the job that much easier for us. In the meantime, though, I think we should get above ground. The cavalry has arrived and they're not in a good mood."  
  
*** 


	18. Kangaroos Are the Only Animal That Blush...

***  
  
Naomi had to hold her hands over her ears as they waited above ground. The cavalry had indeed arrived, and as Predator Hawk had said; they were not happy. Naval guns from ships of the Red Navy and the Royal Navy pounded away at the Devil's Island while hundreds of Rangers and other troops stormed the underground complex. Within two hours, the fight was over.  
  
Caught completely off guard, the prison's guards and administrators were easily overrun and the prisoners released. There were no casualties, which was of tremendous relief to everyone. Naomi watched in satisfaction as the guards and kidnappers were marched into prison barges and the former prisoners were being flown back to the mainland, where they would be reunited with their families and go home.  
  
Naomi looked around at her friends and smiled. Teilani was practically dancing on air, Thomas had his arm wrapped around Lara-Su and showed no intention of ever letting go, Nick stood with a supremely cocky look on his face, Aeryn stood next to Naomi resolute as ever, and Christopher...well his leg wasn't too badly injured. He wore a cast, but was able to stand with the use of a makeshift crutch, and was also obviously relieved that Aeryn was safe and this ordeal was over. Or so they thought.  
  
Naomi's heart sank as she saw two figures approaching them. One, standing at about two meters in height, was obviously an overlander; probably Odezvan, Aeryn's father. Even more frightening than him was the sight of an irate and thoroughly furious Queen Sally. "Uh-oh." Nick whispered to her. "Trouble."  
  
Naomi couldn't help but be slightly intimidated by the sight of the two most powerful beings on Mobius, especially when one of them was her mother.  
  
"Hi mom! Lovely weather we're having, eh?" Naomi said weakly. Sally was not in the least bit swayed.  
  
"Naomi. Nick. Thomas. I want to start off by saying that what you did was stupid, foolish, and could have gotten you all killed." Naomi and Nick looked abashed; Thomas as usual, revealed nothing.  
  
"And I would like to add," Odezvan rumbled. "And this goes for you too Comrade Kangaroo." He fixed a hard stare at Christopher who shrunk from his gaze. "My first impulse was to give you all the Order of Lenin." The four seemed to relax until Sally spoke up.  
  
"MY first impulse, however, was to throw you all in the dungeon." They cringed again until Premier Odezvan spoke again.  
  
"So we decided to compromise. I would give you the Order of Lenin, but would have them nailed into your skulls." He smiled, revealing a row of white gleaming teeth that only served to unsettle them even more. "Either way, you did good." He turned to Sally. "Now if I might borrow my daughter for a while, you may feel free to intimidate and terrorize your children and their friends." Sally nodded.  
  
"Be my guest."  
  
"Spasebo." As Nikolai Odezvan took Aeryn off to the side, Lara perked her enhanced hearing to catch what they were saying. "I am glad you are safe." She heard Odezvan say from a distance, trying to sound calm and emotionally detached. But if she could have seen him then, it was rather obvious that he was anything but.  
  
Aeryn was in a similar situation. With a choked off sob she embraced her father. "Oh papa." She sobbed into his massive shoulder, displaying more emotion than Lara could ever remember her showing. Lara decided at that moment to leave them their privacy as she went over to reunite with her own mother and father.  
  
Some hours later, as the reunions and battle reports were done with, Christopher hobbled over to where Aeryn was standing. She was looking out at the combined Soviet-Acorn Armada and the dozens of ships that comprised it. "Aeryn?" He tentatively asked. She turned to him.  
  
"Christopher." She returned evenly.  
  
"I-er. That is...I just wanted to say that..um--" He stuttered. Aeryn gave a small smile and put her hand on his shoulder and spoke softly.  
  
"It was very brave what you did. At the Palace and again in the prison. Thank you Christopher." She kissed him once, on the cheek, before she walked over to where her father was waiting by a shuttle to take them home. Christopher stood there weakly for a moment, his good leg about to give way beneath him.  
  
He turned his head at the sound of someone whistling. He turned to see Lara applauding and whistling at him, which caused him to blush furiously. Lara smiled to herself at the sight of the thoroughly embarrassed kangaroo. After a few minutes of watching him squirm, she turned around and let Christopher go off on his way. He hobbled over to the shuttle where Aeryn and her father where already waiting. Before he got inside though, Premier Odezvan whispered something in Chris' ear that made him turn rigid in fear. He shakily got onboard after the Premier, seconds later the shuttle came to life and flew off.  
  
Lara turned around and nearly collided with Naomi. "Sorry Naomi, I didn't see you there."  
  
"Yeah, I know. You were too busy humiliating Chris." Naomi shook her head. "You should really consider leaving him alone. He has self-esteem problems enough without you deliberately trying to embarrass him at every turn."  
  
"But it's just so easy! I mean, it takes so little to make him blush-"  
  
"Lara..."  
  
"And when he does it's so adorable!"  
  
"Lara..."  
  
"He looks like a giant tomato..."  
  
"Lara..."  
  
"And it's so fun watching him squirm!"  
  
"Lara!" Naomi practically shouted. Lara held her hands up in surrender.  
  
"All right, all right. Spoil sport."  
  
"Good." Naomi said. "Besides, I'm sure my cousin will come up with something to keep you amused." She smiled wickedly.  
  
"I'm sure he will." Lara returned. "I better go see him." Just as she began to walk away, Naomi called to her.  
  
"What did Aeryn's dad say to him right before he got in the shuttle? Whatever it was, it scared him good. So what was it?" Lara grinned.  
  
"Oh, NOW you want to know. Should've thought of that before Princess Killjoy." Naomi just shook her head and sighed.  
  
"Lara..."  
  
"Oh fine. If you MUST know-"  
  
"-And I must."  
  
"He said to Chris, and I quote 'If you even think of hurting my daughter, I will build a special gulag for you right in the Arctic Circle.' end quote."  
  
*** 


	19. Meanwhile in Mobotropolis...

***  
  
The end of the day found the king and queen of the Acorn Kingdom tired and slumped in their thrones. Sally sighed as she rubbed her head while checking the readout form Nicole. The Soviet fleet had departed the water's of the Acorn Kingdom as agreed and were already heading back to their home port. The inmates of the prison camp had been ferried back to their families in Downunda, Mercia, the Floating Island, and wherever else they came from. A special team of international investigators had occupied the Devil's Island Gulag and were interrogating the people who ran it.  
  
Sally sighed again. As Nikolai suspected, the whole operation was ran by and paid for by Councilor Gala-Na of Albion. There was to be a hearing by the League of Non-Aligned Nations to determine what to do about Albion and its illegal activities. Sally could already foresee what would happen. Albion would be cast out of the League and into political oblivion, like the Overlander Empire.  
  
She regretted the necessity, but what could she do? If she voted to keep Albion in, she would be bludgeoned to death by the Soviet propaganda machine. However if she voted to throw them out, the balance in the League would be destroyed. Besides the United Kingdom of Acorn, the SSSR, and the Overlander Empire, there were seven non-aligned nations that formed a loose alliance in order to be able to stand up to the Big Three. However, even in the league, there was partisanship. The Nation of Downunda, the Kingdom of Mercia, and the Floating Island tended to vote pro-Soviet on many key issues, due to the large size and strength of the labor movements in those nations. Avalon and its Trusteeship of the Flickie Islands abstained on all but the most vital of issues. Albion, the Mysterious Cat Country, and Tundra Island all tended to have Pro-Acorn sympathies, albeit for different reasons.  
  
Tundra Island did it out of loyalty to their old king, as ambassador Rotor Walrus, would always tell her. The Mysterious Cat Country was rigidly conservative and orthodox in its attitudes and vehemently anti-Communist. The fact that the SSSR funded guerrillas that fought against the autocratic Queen of the Cats only further fueled their hatred of the SSSR. Albion, trapped in a landlocked Emerald Sea, bordered on by the SSSR and pro-Soviet Mercia, was only too happy to vote with Mobotropolis. They had no use for the racially diverse Acorn Kingdom anymore than they did the equally diverse Soviet Union, but they viewed Mobotropolis as a bastion of stability and order, compared to the radical and chaotic Moscow.  
  
But if Albion was thrown out, the 3:3 with one abstention balance in the League would be lost and would assume a 3:2 balance that would favor the Soviet Union. Politically, it would be very bad if Albion was banished. Morally...   
  
Sally shook her head. "If I choose the politically expeditious decision over the morally correct one, I should not be on this throne." She said to herself. "Albion goes." Damn the political repercussions, even in politics there has to be some sense of right and wrong. Kidnapping and trying to brainwash children was definitely over the line.  
  
There would be hell to pay later, but that was later. Now...now, she wanted to get some sleep.  
  
"Queen Sally!" So much for sleep. Sally thought to herself.  
  
"What is it Hershey?" She asked tiredly.  
  
"Forgive the interruption Majesty, but I thought you might like to see the findings of an investigation I began."  
  
"Oh? What's this investigation on?"  
  
"Aeryn Odezvan. I thought that her rewiring on the Devil's Island was a bit suspect, so I ran a check on her. Her official record in the Soviet Public Archives show no record of having any electronic training of inclination. Her occupation is officially listed as a dock worker; taking inventory of material shipped down the Moskva River." Sally's attention perked up. Something didn't feel right.  
  
"And unofficially?" She asked Hershey. Hershey just handed her a readout. "A Comintern agent?" Hershey nodded.  
  
"From what Princess Naomi has told me, Aeryn invited them to visit the Soviet Union sometime. From what I could tell, the princess was definitely interested in going, as were her brother and some of their friends."  
  
Sally paused for a moment to consider this. "My children want to go to a country that was formed by a violent revolution against governments friendly to the Acorn Kingdom and will be hosted by the daughter of its Premier, who also happens to be a spy for the Communist International; who have pledged to spreading international socialist revolutions across the world? Am I understanding this correctly?"  
  
"Yes, Majesty. You are."  
  
"Good, didn't want to have missed anything." Sally shrugged. "As long as they have fun, sure why not? And to think, a few decades ago I would have found this whole situation very strange."  
  
*** 


	20. Meanwhile in Moscow...

***  
  
The shuttle with Premier Odezvan, his daughter Aeryn, and her friend Christopher, was flying over the broad expanses of the Soyuz Sovietskikh Sotzialesticheskikh Respublik--Union of Soviet Socialist Republics--when Aeryn made an odd sounding request to her father.  
  
"Let me see if I have this straight. You would like to invite the grandchildren of the tyrant who tried to strangle our revolution in its cradle, suppressed our comrades, invaded and bombed our lands, and have attempted to assassinate me more times than I can count, into the heart of our socialist homeland? Am I understanding you correctly?"  
  
"You are, father." Aeryn acknowledged.  
  
"Ochen khorosho. I hate to think I was going deaf in my old age. What the hell, go ahead. But right now, I'm going to go lie down." He got up to head for the back of the shuttle, but stopped at the doorway. Odezvan looked at Christopher, who fell asleep shortly after takeoff, and saw his head was resting on Aeryn's shoulder. She smiled, a rubbed his head affectionately. Aeryn looked outside as they passed over Omsk, looking fondly at the red flags with sickle and hammer emblems that waved below. Odezvan sighed, shook his head, and went back to lie down. As he headed towards the rear of the shuttle he muttered to himself; "...The weirdest part of this is that a few decades ago I would've found this whole situation very strange..."  
  
  
END  
  
******  
  
TRANSLATIONS  
  
RUSSIAN  
Babushka: A kind of head scarf  
Zdrast'ye: Hello  
Tovarischi: Comrade  
Soyuz Sovietskikh Sotzialesticheskikh Respublik (SSSR): Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)  
Nyet: No  
Da: Yes  
Nye za chto: Thank You  
Nyet. Spaesbo, aber nyet: No. Thanks, But No  
Spaesbo: Thank You  
Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti: Committee for State Security  
Nichevo: It Can't Be Helped  
Ochen khorosho: Very Good  
Do svidanya: Good-bye  
  
LATIN  
Carpe Diem: Seize the Day  
  
YIDDISH  
Gevalt: My God  
Meshuggeh: Crazy  
  
JAPANESE  
Gomen nasai: So Sorry   
  
OTHER  
CPSU: Communist Party of the Soviet Union  
Comintern: Communist International  
Commissar: Commissioner  
  
DISCLAIMERS  
  
All Sonic the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna characters are copyrighted to Archie Comics, Sega, DiC, and whoever else that isn't me. Any original characters or plots belong to me.  
  
Aeryn Odezvan, Nikolai Odezvan, Christopher Kangaroo, Naomi Acorn, Nick Acorn, Teilani, Derek D'Coolette, William St. John, and Thomas Acorn are original characters and are thus copyrighted to me.  
  
The following characters were named in honor of other fictional characters:  
Admiral Parck: Named for an Imperial Admiral in the Star Wars novel: The Hand of Thrawn.  
Taun-We: Named for the Kaminoan cloner Taun We from Star Wars: Episode II Attach of the Clones.  
Zartan: Named for a Cobra mercenary from G.I. Joe. It just seemed like a good idea at the time.  
  
LAST MINUTE NOTES  
  
For those of you wondering about my decision to introduce communism and a resurrected Soviet Union on Mobius, let me explain. I wanted to do something unusual, unique. I also wanted to have something besides a "They All Lived Happily Ever After" ending once Robotnik was dead. It just seems too cliché. Plus, since King Acorn was such a jerk, who'd want HIM back?  
Then I got to thinking, if I was going to introduce some new political ideology to Mobius, what should it be? I wanted something vague, ambiguous, and above all else, completely unpredictable. I mean, if I brought American democracy and created a USA on Mobius, a lot of people would think 'Wow! That's a good thing.' If I brought a Fascist Italy or Nazi Germany, everyone would say 'Yikes! That's DEFINITELY a bad thing!' I wanted something that wasn't angelic or demonic, something where people would scratch their heads and ask 'Is this a good thing or a bad thing?' Communism is vague. On the one hand, it gave the world Stalin and Pol Pot. On the other, some of the most fierce Civil Rights Activists and anti-Fascist freedom fighters were communist. So its kind of hard to say just what this Mobian USSR will be like.  
That's what I'm after, something that the audience doesn't see coming a mile away. I like reading books where I DON'T know what's going to happen next and that's how I'd like to write. People have different opinions about communism. For some it could possibly be good, for others it's evil incarnate. That's good, a mixed reaction; excellent! If you happen to think I'm a jerk or an idiot for writing this, that's your opinion. If you think this could yield interesting results; please read my future fics!  
That's all I can ask for. Thank you for your time. Bye!  
****** 


End file.
